New research has discovered sudden warming, that intimately resembles the rapid human-made warming happening today, has constantly played a key role in mass extinction events of large animals

Using advances in analyzing earliest DNA, radiocarbon dating and further geologic records an international team led by researchers from the University of Adelaide and the University of New South Wales (Australia) have exposed that short, quick warming actions, recognized as interstadials, recorded during the last ice age or Pleistocene coincided with key extinction events yet before the appearance of man.

Published today in Science, the researchers’ state by contrast, severe cold periods, such as the last glacial maximum, do not appear to commune with these extinctions.

"This abrupt warming had a thoughtful impact on climate that caused obvious shifts in global rainfall and vegetation patterns," said Professor Alan Cooper.

The research helps clarify further the unexpected disappearance of mammoths and giant sloths that became extinct around 11,000 years ago at the last part of the last ice age.